IFSA University of Oxford, Worcester College Partnership

Because of the individualized nature of the tutorial system, colleges at Oxford do not have an online course catalog. However, Worcester College has a helpful website with advice on choosing tutorials and a list of possible subjects.

Students take one primary (major) and one secondary (minor) tutorial every term. Students are not permitted to receive extra credit by taking two primary tutorials in one term. Butler University will award students 8 U.S. semester credit hours for each primary tutorial and 4 U.S. semester credit hours for each secondary tutorial. No credit will be awarded for additional work undertaken even if the Oxford College approves it.

Butler University will issue 12 U.S. semester credit hours for the Michaelmas (fall) term, 24 U.S. semester credit hours for the Hilary/Trinity (spring) two-term program and 36 U.S. semester credit hours for the academic year at Oxford.

Science and math students may be required to attend University lectures or to take one or more short tutorials. Regardless of the number of tutorials or lectures required, science students will earn the same number of credits (12 U.S. semester credit hours per term) as other students.

Fall and academic year students who participate in the early start option will earn an additional 4 U.S. semester credits.

Please review all your syllabi and course materials when you are registering for classes (both pre-arrival and on-site). Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee that is disclosed in the syllabus or first meeting of class. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Early Start
IFSA students studying at Worcester College for the fall term or academic year term can opt to arrive early (September 1) for a September Seminar in humanities. This month-long option helps students better understand the Oxford system in advance of the Michaelmas (fall) term, and it also awards an additional 4 U.S. semester credit hours for the fall. Participants live in Worcester housing during the September Seminar and throughout the remainder of the fall term.

Coursework in the seminar will be interdisciplinary within the humanities and include Oxford faculty from classics, English literature and modern languages. Students will attend a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon, as well as excursions to review primary source materials at various Oxford locations. Assessment will include a final research essay related to the topics taught in the seminar.

Students who take advantage of this option will earn a total of 16 U.S. semester credits for the fall.

Your tutorial topics should be limited to no more than two subjects, and those subjects should be related. For instance, the tutors reviewing your application will look more favorably at a tutorial request form that has choices limited to politics and history departments. They would not be as impressed with a tutorial request form that lists choices in chemistry, economics and art history.

The hallmark of the University of Oxford academics is the tutorial system. The tutorial is typically a one-hour meeting between one or two students and the tutor. Tutorials usually meet once a week or every other week, and at the center of the tutorial is an essay on a topic the tutor previously assigned. The tutor will lead a discussion about the essay topic in an effort to provide new insights. At the end of the tutorial, the tutor will assign a new topic and may offer recommended reading. Tutorials are individually arranged, taking into account the subject to be studied and the tutor's area of expertise. They are similar to independent study courses, but Oxford students bear even more responsibility for conducting independent research and maintaining good academic progress. The University of Oxford organizes weekly lectures on myriad academic subjects, and all students at the University, regardless of college, are welcome to attend. Lectures are not usually mandatory except for some science subjects, but tutors often recommend them as good supplements to tutorials and research. At Oxford you'll be expected to do much more work on your own and to think more independently than in most other teaching methods. Your tutor is there to guide your studies, rather than to feed you facts and information, and this provides the opportunity for intensive academic study under a unique and prestigious system.

After you return to the U.S., IFSA will send a Butler University transcript to your home university and to your permanent address. The transcript reflects the courses taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost.